Signing paperwork won't stop government leaks

Since the nation’s earliest days, the federal government has struggled to contain leaks.

The newest proposal to plug them — a nondisclosure agreement that federal agencies may roll out to more than 2 million civil servants — is unlikely to improve matters.

The plan comes from the Office of Personnel Management, whose director, Scott Kupor, previously worked in venture capital and technology — two industries that helped pioneer the practice of requiring employees to sign NDAs.

“The federal government should not be held to a lower standard,” Kupor said.

Unlike the private sector, however, the government must balance its need for confidentiality with its employees’ First Amendment rights.

Myriad laws and rules already exist to prohibit the wrongful disclosure of classified information or private personal data, such as tax forms.

Those federal employees and contractors who handle such material already sign NDAs, such as Standard Form 312, and receive training on their obligations.

Serious breaches should be, and generally are, severely penalized.

The new NDA’s language seems ...